Sevvy
Well-known member
I work in a pet store where we have a chinchilla that was returned twice for aggressive behavior and is currently under quarantine and ineligible for sale (we quarantine all returned animals until they're cleared by a vet). I take care of the chinchilla, which has subsequently semi-bonded with me (i.e. he bites everyone else, barks, hides, and is a basic terror to anyone who tries to get into his cage) and is rather affectionate and sweet (so much so, I'm buying him after his quarantine is up). However, he still displays some very aggressive behaviors so I guess I'm maybe thinking too much into some things. But recently, he's started with two new behaviors that I'm not sure what they mean, if they mean anything at all.
1.) Paw swats- He'll come bounding over as soon as I open the door to his cage, sit up on his hind legs and take his front paws and bat my hand repeatedly with them. And then he looks for a pet or a chin scratch, or to see if I have any food/treats, and then bounds off. ...I don't think he's being aggressive or angry (though, if my cat did that I'd probably be bleeding due to some grievance I must have caused her), but I don't know?
2.) Tackling- His next new behavior as of late. After I've opened up the cage door and am in the process of switching out food, cleaning, etc he'll come charging at me and leap out of the cage onto me. It's not a huge distance to get to me and he's a ball of fluff really so I guess it's not really a "tackle" lol, but still. It's just a new, odd behavior that I'm not sure if it's supposed to mean anything.
Do they mean anything, or is he just being a silly spaz?
1.) Paw swats- He'll come bounding over as soon as I open the door to his cage, sit up on his hind legs and take his front paws and bat my hand repeatedly with them. And then he looks for a pet or a chin scratch, or to see if I have any food/treats, and then bounds off. ...I don't think he's being aggressive or angry (though, if my cat did that I'd probably be bleeding due to some grievance I must have caused her), but I don't know?
2.) Tackling- His next new behavior as of late. After I've opened up the cage door and am in the process of switching out food, cleaning, etc he'll come charging at me and leap out of the cage onto me. It's not a huge distance to get to me and he's a ball of fluff really so I guess it's not really a "tackle" lol, but still. It's just a new, odd behavior that I'm not sure if it's supposed to mean anything.
Do they mean anything, or is he just being a silly spaz?
